


compatible science

by gaybreadstick



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha!Colress, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Colress has Regrets, Dubious Consent, Fantasizing, Hate to Love, M/M, Masturbation, No mpreg, Omega!Faba, Omegaverse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Fantasy, Slow Burn, Unethical Experimentation, no major plot points occur in chapter 8 so you can skip it if you want!!, non-con flashback in chapter 8
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-03-05 11:40:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 19,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13387056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaybreadstick/pseuds/gaybreadstick
Summary: A distrustful omega; a polite alpha. what's the worst that could happen?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> brief shoutout to my rp partners for helping me exercise my writing muscles! I think I've come along quite a bit since I first started writing.

Fingers tapped away feather light over a crisp, clear screen. Their movements were quick and precise as each hit an illuminated key, rapidly typing out notes displayed in gold font.

Colress was crouched on the bright floor of Aether Paradise's topmost floor, eagerly taking notes on a Corsola that was being fed by an employee. The pink Pokemon appeared to be rather pleased with the tasty treats it was receiving. It made soft high-pitched noises each time it finished a piece, waddling towards the staff member again after it finished the scrumptious snack.

 _What an interesting bond between people and Pokemon_ , Colress thought to himself as he typed away. The Aether employees tended to keep respectful distances from many of the Pokemon in their care, letting many of them live within the conservatory as if they were wild. Of course, many brave individuals still came wandering up onto the docks, excited to see the human companions that kept them so happy and healthy. Colress nodded, satisfied with the brief demonstration. It was easy to assume that feeding Pokemon was a good way to develop trust and a lasting bond, but what piqued his intrigue was the minute specifications of it. Certain Pokemon preferred certain foods. Where some would like spicier foods, others would prefer sweet. _Did the type of food effect the bond in any way? Would it effect their performance in battle?_

"I trust you're done with your, ah, _interview,_ " quipped a sharp voice from behind the crouching man. Colress turned, his vibrant golden eyes landing on the slender figure of the Branch Chief to the Aether Foundation: Faba.

When Colress had first visited Aether Paradise it had been under the invite of Assistant Branch Chief Wicke. She was overwhelmingly thrilled to hear about Colress' research and had practically dragged him to the facility by the sleeve. Flattered, the researcher made an ambitious request to be able to visit Aether Paradise on the regular with the intent to further his studies. Wicke was more than delighted to grant him the permissions to do so. The president of the establishment had also seemed pleased by his interest but was oddly vacant from the island when he made the trip.

The only one unimpressed with Colress' presence was Faba. The man looked down his pointed nose at Colress with a light frown. One hand was drawn up under his chin and toying with his goatee. Colress felt the hairs on the nape of his neck bristle at that subtle unyielding glower.

"Not quite," Colress replied evenly as he rose up to stand. Inwardly he felt pleased by the way Faba had to crane his neck to look up at him. With his large coat and towering figure Colress was a little intimidating to look at. It wasn't something he was particularly _proud_ of. It made it difficult to build relations. Far too many people found his size daunting when in reality, he was but a thin man underneath a thick coat. Colress often preferred to work alone as it was, but the occasional bit of company would be appreciated. 

However; presented with the arrogant face of the Branch Chief, Colress had no reservations in puffing up his chest ever so slightly to upstage the other man with a barely contained smug smile.

Faba's nose wrinkled in distaste but held his gaze. "Very well, then," he mused tightly. "Carry on. Do let me or my assistant know when you're finished." The scrawny man quickly turned on his gold heels, walking off with a series of sharp, clear clicks as his they hit the floor.

Colress watched him leave, squinting at the back of his head through his half moon glasses. What an arrogant alpha. What was he so worried about? Was he honestly that concerned about his presence in the facility that he actually felt _threatened_ by him? The light-haired researcher nearly let out a laugh. 

From the moment he arrived at Aether Paradise he knew that the facility was run by a trio of dedicated, confident alphas. It was common for people with this secondary trait to take the lead roles with vigor. People who were betas took on the responsibility, but weren't nearly as earnest to take hold of the leadership aspect of their position. Colress' mind briefly flickered back to Zinzolin, earning a sour look on his features for a moment. It was easy to be civil among fellow alphas. In business, it was almost always pleasantries, formalities, and polite talk. Wicke and Lusamine were easy to mingle with. So why was Faba the only one acting so ruffled? Colress inwardly scoffed. Maybe the Branch Chief was merely trying to throw his weight around to show off in front of his subordinates.

_Typical alpha._

Colress shook his head with a sigh. Faba had disappeared out of his line of sight long ago now. He cleared his throat and turned back to the Aether employee who was petting the Corsola's spines.

"Pardon me, could you show me your Slowpoke?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Why are you letting that _disgraceful_ heathen wander around unsupervised?"

Faba closed the office door behind him with a click, nose in the air as he strode up to the eloquent white desk. Sitting comfortably behind it typing on a small laptop was Wicke, her eyes not once leaving the screen as Faba marched over.

"I thought you knew," she hummed as her fingers danced across the keyboard. "He's here to study the relations between people and Pokemon."

"I know _that_!" Faba huffed, glaring at her through his green glasses. "What I don't understand is why you're letting this _rogue alpha_ parade around so willy-nilly! How do we know what kind of alpha he is?! He could be a danger to our employees."

"I hardly think so, Faba," came Wicke's deadpan reply. Her eyes hooded to give him a look of utter exhaustion. "Alphas are not inherently dangerous, you know this."

Faba's hands slammed onto the clean desk, effectively rattling the books and pens on it. "I'd be much more comfortable if I didn't have to worry about this _brute_ pacing around the conservatory! We don't know what he's like! And that is _Branch Chief_ Faba, to you!"

Wicke reclined into the tall backed chair. Her face, unimpressed with her coworker entirely. "Branch Chief Faba," she replied tightly. "You're acting out of fear. You take your daily suppressants and those are _more_ than enough to repress your heat and block out your scent. Nobody at this facility is able to smell you - as if they'd be brave enough to _try_ , anyway."

This appeared to quell Faba somewhat as he slowly sank down into one of the chairs opposite her desk. "Forgive me," he sighed heavily, cradling his head in his hands. "It's just -- Well, _you know_." His eyes went vacant as if remembering something, but Faba quickly shook his head and snapped himself out of his thoughts.

Wicke echoed his sigh, her eyes softening at the distraught man seated before her. "I do know." She leaned forward, folding her hands neatly on the reflective surface of the tabletop. "If you're still worried, you're more than welcome to take my coat there. That should be more than enough to help you if he gets too close for your comfort."

Faba glanced over to the wall Wicke was indicating to. Elegant coat hooks hung close to the doorway, one covered by a large ivory overcoat. His heart sank. Every few months over the course of the year Faba had to take time away to go off his heat suppressants. This was only due to the fact that postponing heats for too long could lead to worse symptoms than usual and could even become dangerous to one's body. During this time the Branch Chief hid himself away in his onsite quarters, refusing to step foot outside his door until his dreaded heat subsided and he could return to work with a clean bill of health. For days after he'd frantically rub the fabric of Wicke's coat over what little skin of his that was exposed. His gloves and high-collared shirt served to cover up most of it, but it wasn't _quite enough_ after a fresh heat. 

Until his new suppressants kicked in again to mute his scent, Wicke's coat was the only thing available to help mask the stench of a needy heat-riddled omega. It was quite plainly, _humiliating_ having to rub his face into her clothing in the same manner an omega would their alpha's. It posed as an effective cover but regrettably came with the side effect of convincing much of the staff to think that he and his assistant were romantically involved. Faba always smelled like Wicke since his suppressants covered up any odor of his own. He'd always return the coat thoroughly washed and delicately pressed, but the odor of a heat-ridden omega still clung to the fibers for days after. On more than one occasion, Faba wondered how Wicke handled him at his worst at all. She was an alpha - how could she _not_ be lured in by his loathsome pheromones? His mouth thinned into a tense line at the idea.

"Take it," Wicke said, waving her hand towards the door. "You'll feel better if you do."

"Thank you," he murmured quietly as he stood. Faba made his way back to the door, plucking the article of clothing off its hook as he passed. 

"Oh, and Faba," called Wicke one last time. Faba was ready to turn around and curtly remind her again of his title, only to be cut off. "If you really are worried about it, perhaps it's time you took advantage of your quarterly leave."

He tensed visibly, eyes lingering on her for a moment before dropping down onto the coat now draped over one forearm. "I will... Keep it in mind," he answered lowly before leaving her office without another word.


	3. Chapter 3

_Ah, such a lovely breeze!_

Colress was making his way back to Aether Paradise once more after a relaxing week in Heahea City. It had been the perfect breather, relaxing at the hotel enjoying the truly spectacular surroundings of Alola. The researcher took in a deep breath, enjoying the salty, clean air and light spray of the water over the edge of the boat. Already he could see the small island of Aether Paradise approaching on the horizon. They'd be arriving soon. Colress adjusted his coat, lifting his nose towards his destination.

\-- x --

The Pokemon researcher stepped off onto the docks greeted by a chipper Wicke and a shockingly tired-looking Faba. Colress' gaze lingered on the bags now shadowing underneath the Branch Chief's eyes for a prolonged moment but was quick to turn his attention back to Wicke.

"Here's your keycard for the afternoon," chimed the violet-haired woman, handing a small plastic card over to Colress. "As you know, it will be able to take you through to the conservatory. Be sure to return it again once you're finished!"

"Thank you," replied the tall man with a smile, accepting the small item. "I'll be heading up to there right away."

"Excellent! We'll join you along the way then" Wicke beamed.

Colress glanced over at Faba once more. Why wasn't he taking the lead today? Last time Faba had been the one to greet and begrudgingly hand over the card. Today Faba seemed downright _exhausted_. "Are you feeling all right, Branch Chief?" he asked, a single slender eyebrow arching upward.

"Never better," Faba sharply answered. Something about that tone didn't sit well with Colress but he wasn't about to push it. A hostile alpha was a dangerous alpha. Wicke's delighted demeanor gave Colress some reassurance. No doubt if Faba started acting up she'd be able to subdue him swiftly.

"Very well, let's get going then!" Wicke began making her way to the lift. Faba and Colress followed after her. Now walking beside one another, Colress took the opportunity to evaluate the shorter man. In the few times he had seen Faba the man was always confident; cocky. He carried himself with undeniable pride and confidence. Today he almost appeared to be slouching towards the floor with a sudden lack of energy.

Interesting, Colress thought.

They stepped onto the lift together. As Wicke placed her hand over the reader and pressed the buttons to raise the security gates, an odd scent began to waft through the air. It was light, like the forest after rain. Like wind through the tall grass, but with an underlying promise of something piquant. Colress' brows furrowed and he looked around the docks. Perhaps it was coming from one of the crates. They _did_ have a lot of Pokemon to tend to here, it was probably nothing more than some imported goods. He quickly accepted this solution, only to feel perplexed once more when it didn't fade as they rose through the levels. It continued to slink through the very air and slither around them thickly, tickling Colress' nose. The tall blonde man blinked between Wicke and Faba. Whatever it was they didn't seem to be paying it any attention whatsoever. It was as if it wasn't there at all. He gave his head a small shake. Maybe he was just imagining things.

But as hard as he tried to ignore it, it still persisted as they arrived in the conservatory. The tall man faltered as he watched Faba quickly scuttle off the platform and off towards a Pikpek perched in a tree. How unusual. Throughout all of Colress' visits, never once had he seen Faba interact with a Pokemon within the conservatory - let alone approach one so _readily_. Wicke didn't mention anything about it, staying put where she was.

"Of course if you need anything, please don't hesitate to let us know. The staff will be more than delighted to help you out as well!" she nodded.

"Thank you again, Miss Wicke," came Colress' polite reply.

"Enjoy your visit!" With that the guard rails rose once again and Wicke was swiftly elevated to a floor higher up. 

Faba's face paled. He thought when Wicke had mentioned that they would be accompanying the researcher that they both would have gotten off at that floor. It appeared that he had sorely misinterpreted Wicke's words. His panic to get away from Colress had been impulsive and foolish. While Colress was vacationing in Heahea, Faba had agreed to Wicke's suggestion to take a brief leave. In preparation for it Faba had to come off his suppressants, and today was day two of the slow decent into heat hell. A couple more days and he'd be utterly bedridden. For the time being Faba incessantly huddled in Wicke's coat while he was alone, but deep down he couldn't shake the worrying feeling that his own scent was starting to seep through early. Faba needed to put as much space as he could between himself and the taller man as fast as possible.

"Are you sure you're feeling well? You appear to be quite white today, Mister Faba."

The green-spectacled man whirled around, stiffly uttering out a "That's _Branch Chief_ Faba," in Colress' direction. "And I'm perfectly _fine_."

The tall man approached Faba steadily. His lemon-yellow eyes scanned over Faba's face with concerned brows. Why was he lying? There wasn't any denying that Faba was unwell with his skittish behavior and pallid face. What did he have to gain from such a thing? Colress' expression faded to disinterest as the idea of Faba being a compensating, aggressive alpha returned to the forefront of his mind. Maybe he was starting to crack from having another alpha in his space so often. Ah, yes. _That would explain it then._

_Oh -_

_But there it was again._

Colress' nose lifted as he immediately caught wind of that alluring scent again. Just what was that? He could see a small collection of Bounsweet frolicking close by. Though, Bounsweet typically had a highly sweet scent. This wasn't that anymore. It was... Bolder. More... _Primal._ It wasn't like anything Colress had encountered before. What _was_ that?

Faba was nearly trembling as the towering alpha loomed closer and closer. Maybe this had been a mistake - _a horrible, horrible mistake-_

"Excuse me, _Mister Colress_ -" Faba snapped.

The researcher blinked back to focus, looking down at the small Branch Chief now glaring daggers up at him.

"I must attend to something Professor Burnet was looking into. If you don't mind," he tensed, side-stepping the other and putting a safe distance between them. "I really must get to it." Faba didn't allow any time for response, instead walking off as quickly as he could without looking back once.

Left behind, Colress narrowed his eyes suspiciously. The alluring scent was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

"I think this was a terrible mistake."

Faba was sitting in the common area for staff admins, trying to relax on the sofa despite holding his head deep in his hands.

"You know you have to come off of them regularly," Wicke replied, bringing over a small prepared tea set and setting it on the elegant coffee table before taking a spot on the couch opposite Faba's.

"Yes, but I really hadn't anticipated it so soon," Faba grovelled. "I should've just kept on my suppressants until he finished his work."

"You know how dangerous that is!" she scolded, waving a teaspoon at him. The Branch Chief shrank down with a big frown, earning an apologetic sigh from his coworker. "You are going on leave. Once you're back you won't have to worry about it for a while. I think we'd all feel better if you didn't risk your health over this." Wicke pressed, sipping her cup of tea. Faba grabbed his own cup, but merely held it on its saucer in his lap.

"I have far too many projects - too many obligations -" Faba shook his head. "All of it will have to wait, just because of this _repulsive biology_."

"Leave it to me," Wicke smiled softly. "I will take of things."

"Thank you," came the relieved sigh from Faba.

\-- X --

Finally, at peace in his own living space.

Faba headed over towards his ivory-coloured couch and proceeded to flop onto it with an exasperated groan riddled with annoyance. It was day three of coming off his suppressants and he was starting to feel fleeting sensations of heat and irritability. Faba rolled over onto his back and gazed lazily at the ceiling. There was no question that his head was starting to spin from the absence of the hormone inhibitors. Another groan. This time it was echoed by his stomach snarling loudly. His hand immediately went to the growling area, as if to soothe its ravenousness with the gesture alone. _Hunger_. Maybe his heat was approaching faster than his thought. Omegas needed to compensate their heats with additional nutrition, lest they grow dehydrated or otherwise ill. Faba peeled himself up off the sofa and shuffled over to the refrigerator.

When he opened the door, what he saw made his heart drop into his stomach.

In the few days he had before his leave Faba hadn't stocked up on supplies whatsoever. It had been so sudden that the need to acquire something so simple as _groceries_ hadn't even came to mind.

Damn.

He grit his teeth, slamming the door closed. There was no way he could go out, he couldn't even sneak down to the staff lunchroom. Not like this. Not with his heat so close to presenting. He ran his hand through his messy hair frantically. What could he do, what could he do ---

_Wicke._

Faba's eyes lit up. Perhaps he could swindle her into gathering some things for him. She was a trusted alpha - there would be absolutely no room for funny business if he asked her to do something for him, heat or no. Yes, that could work! Grabbing his coat he slipped it over his body before quickly ushering out the door.

\-- X --

Wicke was in her office again. Her fingers rapidly flew over the keys as she powered through a rather lengthy email, hardly registering Faba's knock as he entered the room.

"Wicke," he cleared his throat.

"Faba!" she bolted upright, shocked. Surprise succumbed to mild confusion and concern as she took in the Branch Chief's appearance. Evidently he hadn't looked in the mirror that morning as his hair was not its usual tidy self. Even his goatee was looking a little ruffled at the tip. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I need a favor," Faba began, but was cut off.

"Mister Faba, I'm afraid I cannot do anything for you right now. I have a lot of work to do with you on leave and all - and why are you outside anyway? Go back to your quarters immediately!"

Faba faltered at her tone, feeling a sinking feeling of uneasiness settle into his gut.

"I'm sorry," Wicke continued with a sigh. The violet-haired woman looked at the door behind her coworker, checking for anyone about to enter before uttering out the rest of her words. "I can _smell you_. You need to go home, _now_."

The tall man tensed, shaking his head. "N-no, no, I cannot! See, I've-"

"Pardon me, Miss Wicke."

Faba's mouth clamped closed as the door opened to reveal Colress softly knocking against her door. The Branch Chief swallowed and stepped off to the side to allow the other man into the room.

"I hope I am not interrupting," he said, voice eerily calm as he glanced between Faba and Wicke.

"No, no. Not at all," Wicke smiled at him. Her eyes shifted over to Faba, and though she was urgently giving him a silent cue to leave the Branch Chief stood firmly rooted to the spot.

Colress cast Faba an intrigued look before turning back to Wicke.

"Ah, I've completed my notes for the day. I am merely here to turn this in." He extended a hand to Wicke, holding out the key card he used to navigate between the floors.

"Thank you! I trust you've learned a bit during your stay today?"

"Some new ideas, yes," affirmed Colress with a light chuckle. "Your Emolga were quite ah, _clingy_ today."

Wicke let out a delighted laugh, much to Faba's disdain. _Why won't he leave,_ Faba thought irritably. _Just get out of here already!_

"I'll be taking my leave for the day then. I'll be coming back again tomorrow." the Pokemon researcher nodded, bidding the Assistant Branch Chief farewell before turning and heading for the door.

_**Finally,**_ Faba cursed silently.

Colress placed his hand on the doorknob, but suddenly paused.

Faba stiffened, his breath hitching in his throat.

"Sorry," Colress said, shaking his head and turning back to Wicke. "Someone is wearing just the most pleasing perfume or cologne. My compliments to whoever it is,"

"Perfume?" Wicke blinked incredulously. Faba shot her a lethal glare. "Neither of us wear-" she caught her coworker's look, immediately realizing what she had said.

"No?" Colress questioned. His eyebrows furrowed. "I swore I just-" Checking the air again, he angled his nose upward.

Faba's heart stopped altogether as he watched the taller man's nostrils flare. Wicke worked with him on the regular. By now she was likely used to the fleeting scraps of his scent whenever it presented itself, but Colress... Colress wasn't used to him at _all_. He shied away when Colress took a step towards him.

"Mister Faba."

The Branch Chief froze entirely, paralyzed to the point that the absence of his title hardly registered. "Y-yes?" he forced out, lifting his head up to try and assert himself.

"You're certain you're not using some sort of cologne?"

Colress' golden eyes flickered as they bore into Faba's blue ones. There was no denying it - Colress _knew_ something was amiss. The way those warm irises glinted told the Branch Chief as much. Faba stubbornly tried to keep his head up. Maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe he could still get out of this, get away from Colress, go back to his quarters -

"Ah... An _omega._ "

The words came crashing down on Faba like a heaping hefty horde of Hippowdon. In that single moment, it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. There wasn't enough space between him and Colress. The Branch Chief's palms began to sweat, his breathing hitched. His legs threatened to buckle and give out underneath him. Faba felt completely and utterly pinned by those piercing eyes. Colress was too close, everything was too warm --

"Excuse me!" Faba spat, a hand launching out and pushing against Colress' chest. The gesture did little to budge the larger man from his spot. "A little space, if you _**please**!_ "

"Oh! I apologize," Colress blinked, stepping away sharply. He lifted one of the large displays on his forearms, jamming his finger against one of the blue buttons repeatedly. "I didn't mean to intrude so, ah - _closely_." There was a rush of cool air and a soft hiss from the back vent of Colress' coat.

"No, I'm certain you didn't!" snarled the shorter of the pair, his words mostly teeth and spittle. Faba's face had turned a rather bright shade of red.

"Branch Chief Faba, I would like to remind you to keep yourself under control," Wicke interrupted from her desk. The omega stalled, glancing over to her to see her expression now laden with worry again. "Please, go home."

"I cannot!" Faba yelled frantically.

"Why not?" Colress asked in a voice so soft it set off alarm bells. 

_No, no, no - don't you **dare** you disgusting, vile, putrid Primeape! I don't want your pity,_ his thoughts shrieked. _I'd much rather starve than allow you to help me._

"I'm --" he paused to eye Colress with a nasty glower. "I am in desperate need of... _Supplies_. I cannot go myself."

"Supplies?" Wicke's demeanor changed with a glare. "Mister Faba, I am the Aether Foundation's Assistant Branch Chief - not **your** _personal assistant_!" She stood from her desk, hands supporting her as she leaned over it. "Did you come here to ask me to get things for you, on your behalf? After all the work I have to make up for while you're away?"

Faba practically cowered under her outraged eyes. "I-I --" he attempted to explain, but came up short each time he tried to begin a sentence.

"Mister Faba, it is not my fault if you didn't have the foresight to prepare for your condition. I have too much to do now to be able to make a trip ashore - even if I wanted to."

"B-but, Miss Wicke -"

"Go back to your quarters, Mister Faba," Wicke snapped, seating herself at her desk once more before continuing to type out her email.

"Excuse me," Colress stepped up to her desk boldly, head held high. "I would not mind accompanying Mister Faba ashore. I am headed that way, after all."

_Yes, yes. Play it off as a courtesy,_ Faba thought bitterly. _You're only thinking that way because of my condition you oaf._

Wicke glanced between Faba and Colress, her emerald eyes lingering on each man before her for a lengthy moment. She let out a soft sigh. "Faba?"

"Wha- You expect me to go ashore with -- with _him_?" Faba hissed.

"I will take you where you need to go and ensure you get there safely," Colress smiled at the shorter man, placing a hand over his chest in a gesture of sincerity.

"If you need to leave that badly, it isn't an outrageous idea," Wicke admitted with a tilt of her head.

A deep scowl spread across Faba's face. He didn't particularly relish the idea of wandering around with an unfamiliar alpha that was more than likely playing pleasant in order to win his favor. The idea had Faba nearly gagging in disgust. Regardless, he gingerly gave Colress a once over. With that coat it was difficult to determine just how burly Colress really was. It offered some reassurance, and yet the unsettled omega couldn't bury the feelings of apprehension that gurgled up in his chest.

"Fine," Faba huffed.

"Good, then we'll depart right away," hummed the towering researcher. "Good day, Miss Wicke." 

Faba grumbled to himself, casting Wicke a worried look that wasn't reciprocated before turning and following after Colress.


	5. Chapter 5

Faba wanted to scream. He didn't want Colress' help. He didn't want to be outside. Faba wanted to yell and spout profanities until eventually the Pokemon researcher got it through that thick skull that he _wasn't interested_. He didn't need a bodyguard to escort him to Heahea over something as trivial as a shopping list. But, as much as Faba wanted to protest the company, he knew he needed it. He couldn't exactly starve himself for the few days of his absence. 

_... Could he?_

"You've been awfully quiet our entire trip," came his companion's cheerful voice.

Faba let out a dejected snort. "Should I be saying something?"

"No, but from what I've heard about you... It's not like you."

"Oh? And where exactly did you pull that from?"

Colress chuckled. "Your employees."

The omega ground his teeth, fingers tensing around the handrail he was leaning on. Ocean spray flew up over the edge and onto the deck in fine droplets as the boat flew over the water. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that odd blue swirl of hair on Colress' head bouncing in the breeze.

Another laugh. "Don't worry, it's not always bad."

 _Not always_ , Faba's thoughts echoed bitterly.

"So, where are we headed when we get ashore?"

The branch chief growled. This fool had offered to take him ashore, yet hadn't the slightest clue where they were even going. Leave it to the typical alpha to throw care to the wind in hopes of earning a date.

"Well?" Colress pressed gently.

"I need... Things." Faba grumbled. "Nutritional. That sort of thing."

"Ah," replied the alpha with a light chuckle. "You could've just said so."

Faba rounded on him, glaring daggers directly up into Colress' vibrant lemon eyes. "Listen here, I am going ashore to get the things I need - then that is _it_. You can escort me back if you so wish, but I will not be extending any further invites or allow you to accompany me beyond that. Do I make myself clear?"

It seemed Faba's small snap hadn't even phased Colress in the slightest as the larger man merely smiled down at him with his ever-so-soft expression. "Perfectly," he nodded.

"Good," Faba huffed, somewhat put out that he hadn't been able to get Colress to cower.

\-- X --

The Branch Chief pulled the collar of his white coat closer as the pair stepped off the docks, his other hand plunging into the pocket. Why hadn't he thought to put on his gloves before he left? Blue eyes softened to worry, darting from person to person as they passed with a clear glint of uneasiness. Any one of these passers-by could be an alpha ready to crack at the faintest whiff of a heated omega. Closing them Faba took a moment to suck in a sharp breath to calm his nerves. _Remember what Wicke said. Alphas aren't inherently dangerous. Alphas **aren't** inherently dangerous._ Sticking his nose up the green-spectacled man strode past the tourist's office, pointedly making his way towards a shop in town.

Colress was a close step behind. His smile broadened ever so slightly as he watched the Branch Chief strut through the crowd. The way Faba carried himself... It was so assertive. So very much like an alpha would. Intrigue flickered in his golden irises. Omegas were generally, by textbook, rather submissive. Many found their places in jobs that required a kind of maternal touch. Nursing. Care homes. That sort of thing. So how had Faba come to acquire the leading role of Branch Chief within a major research facility? Colress' gaze slid up over Faba's form. He didn't seem the type to try and work his way up through controversial means. No seducing his superiors in hopes of a better pay raise. Colress chortled quietly to himself, lightly covering his mouth with a hand to prevent Faba from hearing it.

"Are you coming or are you going to dawdle behind me?"

His attention snapped up to see Faba glaring at him rather fiercely - or at least, as fiercely as the man could. Despite the puffed out chest and lifted chin there was absolutely no denying the fear that was swirling in Faba's eyes.

The omega was very, _very_ afraid.

Something in Colress' chest lurched. It wasn't painful and it didn't tickle, but it was enough to merit one hand going to the location immediately to clutch the fabric there. In an instantaneous second his coat started to feel hot like it had in Wicke's office earlier. The tall man looked down at the display on his arm. Sure enough, the temperature had raised a few degrees from the previous setting. How could that be? Was there a bug with the thermal system? Colress tapped the screen a few times experimentally. It shouldn't ever lean away from the set temperature. The alpha glanced back up at his companion, putting on his best smile despite the questions raising in his mind.

"I'm close behind. Lead the way."

Faba looked Colress up and down, opening his mouth to speak. Colress waited for a painful second - expecting him to say something. Anything, really. But instead Faba just shook his head and turned away.


	6. Chapter 6

_All right. Get in, grab what you need, get out._

Faba strode in through the doors quickly, his arms folded tightly over his chest. The sooner he got in and grabbed what he came here for, the sooner he could go back to his home and forget this trip ever happened. Now... What to get? The Branch Chief faltered. It wasn't often he made the trip himself. Often times he would delegate the job to Wicke or some grunt. He couldn't even remember what it was that they would bring him, as his heats were always months apart. The rest of his daily meals came from the onsite cafeteria. Faba swallowed, nervously looking at the expansive array of produce shelved immediately before him.

"Are you all right?"

Faba flinched at the sound of Colress' voice so close to his ear. He whirled around, trying his best to fix a stern frown. Unfortunately for him the frown didn't settle into place as neatly as it usually would, instead mixing in with a horrified look of uncertainty.

Colress' brows knit at the clear expression of distress. "Let's go get you your things, shall we?"

The Branch Chief's throat bobbed with a thick swallow that was followed by a stiff nod. Colress reciprocated with his own nod and gestured Faba to follow. The shorter man blinked, bewildered that Colress was somehow taking the lead on all this, but silently conceded.

Outside of Faba's sight Colress was tapping away on one of the panels of his coat. What sort of things did omegas need? What kind of foods were best? The screen produced the information in simple, plain text. He hummed to himself, glancing up around the shop.

"You might need this," Colress mused, plucking a basket up from beside the cart rack. He held it out to the other man to take. Faba stared at the basket in the same manner one would usually react to having a Grimer held in their face. His nose wrinkled and he gave Colress a suspicious glare. Colress inclined his head. "Unless you'd rather, I held it for you?" 

"I don't need your help," Faba huffed, snatching the basket from Colress' grasp. A gentle, pleased expression graced Colress' face - an expression that Faba ever so desperately wanted to slap off.

"Come on, then. I'm sure you're eager to get home."

Faba snorted and trailed after his companion as Colress weaved his way through the produce aisles.

"Here you are," hummed the taller of the pair. He grabbed a small plastic container off the refrigerated shelf. Inside one could see there was a mix of different berries.

"... Fruit," Faba said. It was a question disguised as a deadpanned statement.

"Yes. It'll help compensate for all the energy your body will be using up. This way you won't feel as exhausted after. Maybe some of these -" Colress leaned over, plucking some bananas off the next shelf and placing them in the basket. "- Will be good too."

Faba squinted skeptically at Colress. "How would you know what I need?" he asked sourly, holding the basket out of the other man's reach. "I already said I don't need your help." With that Faba huffed and marched off down a different aisle.

_Like he knows anything about what an omega needs_ , the Branch Chief thought bitterly. _I bet he's never even encountered an omega in his life. What a revolting cretin. Likely just eager to stick his knot-_

The man paused as he came up to a tall rack sporting different candies and chocolate. Instantly Faba perked up. If there was something that took the edge off of his heat, it was a scrumptious bar of chocolate. One hand came up to his goatee, toying with the strands of hair as he looked over each item. There were so many different options. Wicke usually brought him a generic bar of dark chocolate. Often times it was rather bitter, but it sufficed. He hummed as he plucked a bar off the shelf and gave the packaging a once-over. This particular one was said to be sweetened. One of Faba's thick eyebrows lifted at that. _Would_ he like something sweeter? Faba pursed his lips in thought.

"Ah, ah, ah," came a soft tutting.

Faba blinked out of his thoughts, looking up to see Colress standing beside him. The man leaned in and lightly plucked the bar of candy from Faba's hand. "Candy isn't the best for you, Mister Faba."

The Branch Chief opened his mouth to protest this but a strained noise hitched in his throat first. Colress had placed a small assortment of items into the basket varying from fruits to meats to some oddly packaged dairy product. Faba glared, looking between Colress and what he had gathered.

"You think any of this will be beneficial? What do you know! _You're just a Pokemon Researcher_. Give that back immediately!" Faba lunged for the chocolate bar but Colress easily held it out of reach. 

"This will be more than enough to last you," Colress nodded with his confident smile. "You do not need this."

Faba's eyes were glaring daggers now. "Fine!" he hissed. "Let's just get this over with."

"Allow me," Colress leaned over, grabbing the basket out of Faba's hand. 

"Wh-What are you doing?!" barked the omega indignantly.

"Offering my assistance, of course," Colress chimed as he walked off towards the cashier.

\-- X --

Colress beamed contently as the pair departed the store. Two bags hung in the taller man's grasp, bulging with Faba's newly acquired necessities.

"You did not have to do that," Faba grumbled at Colress' side. "I could have paid for it on my own."

"I don't mind," replied the alpha with a smile.

_Sure you don't_ , Faba thought.

Daylight was succumbing to nightfall as they made their way back to the boat. Already the faint hints of stars were beginning to speckle the sky through the few lavender clouds. The last warm orange tones of the setting sun were vibrant against the waters of Alola. Colress sighed deeply.

"Alola is quite lovely! I think I'd like to stay here for some time," he hummed.

"Oh, I'm sure you would." Faba grit out.

Colress turned his head to smile at Faba, only to glance up at a stumbling man approaching the two of them. Colress instantly picked up the uncomfortable vibe swirling around this person accompanied by the outrageous odor of liquor clinging to him.

Faba visibly stiffened as the man stood mere inches in front of him taking in a exaggerated inhale.

"Mm, don't you smell _amazing_ ," the man hissed out, looking down at Faba with lidded eyes and licking his lips.

"Amazing you can smell anything with that vile cloud around you," Faba snipped.

The man merely cackled out a phlegmy laugh. Faba recoiled in disgust, stepping back and slightly behind Colress, who had dropped what he was holding and put himself directly between the pair.

"Sir, I ask you to leave my companion here alone," the blonde-haired man evenly put.

The stranger gave Colress a bug-eyed look, clearly trying to size him up in his inebriated state. "And who're you?"

"That really isn't your business," came Colress' growled response.

"Ahah, well if he ain't yours..." The other man reached inside his tattered jacket to pull out a small object Colress couldn't quite see, "And yah ain't gonna make use of him.."

Alarm bells went off in the back of Colress' mind at that. _Use?_ This _pig_ was making Faba out to sound disposable. The blonde-haired man's nose wrinkled and his mouth turned into a furious scowl.

"Excuse me, but you won't be touching a single inch of him."

"Oho," the stranger mocked, nodding with wild eyes. "Want 'im all to yourself hm? Gotta look good? Gotta impress your little _breeder_ there?"

Faba shot out from around Colress at that.

" _What_ did you just call me?!" he barked.

"Aw, don't look so upset." The man's hand shot out and latched around Faba's wrist, sharply pulling the Branch Chief flush against him. Faba let out a horrified noise of surprise, inwardly recoiling as the man ground his hips into his own. " I bet you do a _great_ job pleasin' them alphas."

Faba's hands came up to push against his accoster, only to have something sharp prick into the skin just beneath his jaw. The item Colress hadn't been able to clearly see was a thin pocket knife and it was now digging into the sensitive spot under Faba's chin.

"Let go!" Faba hissed, though his words sounded weak and hoarse.

Colress immediately acted. He could feel himself baring his teeth like some sort of feral Pokemon; wild and unhinged. His pupils dilated as an arm immediately shot out to the throat of the stranger and squeezed.

"W-woah hey-" the man choked out, hands raising up. His fingers fumbled to drop the knife. Free from his hands, Faba quickly scrambled away.

Colress began to push, forcing the man to awkwardly step backward until he was up against the closest wall. He could feel something coursing through him that he hadn't felt in a long time. The thrill of having power at the tips of his fingers. The rush of adrenaline. It was _sensational._

"Do not ever touch him again," Colress grit out lowly.

The stranger nodded frantically, wide eyes now riddled with fear. "Yeah, yeah you got it," he managed.

"Glad we could make an agreement." Colress smiled, malice completely vanishing off his features as if they had never been there to begin with. His hand moved away and the stranger rapidly fled the scene. His golden eyes hung onto the other man, closely watching his back until the drunken beast had finally slid out of his sight.

A frail, tiny whimper broke Colress' attention and he glanced behind him. Not but a few feet away clutching his arms close around his core was Faba; shaking.

"Faba," Colress spoke softly, moving quickly to the Branch Chief's side. He went to place a hand on the man's shoulder but it was immediately slapped away.

"Don't touch me! Don't touch- Just, don't!" Faba sputtered. Behind the green lenses Colress could see tears thick in the corners of the Branch Chief's eyes.

"Here, it's all right. Let's get you back home," Colress pressed. Faba nodded, his mouth fixed in an upset frown. The omega's usually fiery gaze had vanished, replaced with despaired watery misery. With some wobbliness he began to walk, refusing Colress each time the man would offer out a hand.

" _I just want to go home_ ," Faba choked out quietly between the warning signs of a pained sob.

Colress nodded. "Let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

He couldn't have returned to the hotel soon enough.

Colress took in a deep heavy breath as he disposed of his coat on a nearby chair before slumping down onto the bed. What a day. His lemon yellow eyes glanced over to the nightstand where a thin white tablet rested. He plucked the item up, powering it on and opening the files for his notes. Notes he took on the panels of his coat were synchronized to the other devices he kept around. It made accessing the information far easier, and was convenient when he didn't want to wear the bulky garment that apparently had decided to act on the fritz that afternoon.

He lazily scanned through the lengthy list of jotted sentences. Most were very generic to start, mentioning beans and walking with Pokemon, but a couple others sparked a small smile on his face. One in particular that caught his eye was: _**Emolga - very attracted to electronic devices, especially worn ones.**_

An amused chuckle tickled in his throat.

He looked up to his coat again. Odd how it hadn't been doing its job earlier. Colress pursed his lips in thought. It only had seemed to hiccup when Faba was too close. A look of knowing disappointment settled on the man's soft features. As much as he would have loved to pass the blame off on the coat, he had a sinking feeling that it hadn't been the thermal conductors at all. Faba was an omega - one that had been mere _days_ away from his full on heat. It was no wonder his body temperature had spiked from lingering is such close proximity to the man. A heavy sigh escaped him and he flopped down onto the sheets.

Faba did have a rather pleasant scent, though he supposed anything could smell nice when it was biologically developed with the exact purpose of luring in a mate. Idly he wondered just how Wicke and Lusamine dealt with Faba's heats. Well, Lusamine _had_ a mate already. Where that person was at any given time seemed to be a well-kept mystery, but the evidence of her not one, but two children was more than enough to convince him she was still attached to whomever she was with. _Wicke on the other hand..._

Colress blinked. She was normally such a pleasant, polite lady. Always ready to offer her assistance or pick up a Pokemon and give it the warmest of care. Lately though she had been rather irritable. The man chuckled. Well, it was fair. In the presence of both a heated omega and another alpha, alphas could get rather testy.

Pondering on it more, Colress wondered how Faba got away without the rest of the staff knowing at all. To his knowledge, a very large portion of the Aether Foundation's staff were all beta with the odd few alphas speckling their workplace in the higher up positions. It wasn't much different elsewhere. betas was more commonplace with alphas and omegas generally taking up a quarter each of any given population. He guessed Faba had the luxury of hiding in his office away from the other employees - wherever that was. Colress blinked. He didn't remember seeing an office by Wicke's with Faba's nameplate on it. _How unusual._

His mind flickered to the man that had assaulted Faba earlier. He remembered seeing that utter fear in Faba's eyes before as they stepped onto shore. Colress frowned, upset that the fear had been justified. He had heard accounts of alphas taking advantage of omegas and had witnessed it firsthand within the walls of _Team Plasma_ , but this felt very different from that. Faba had been scared to go out right from the start. He made it clear that he didn't want to leave Aether Paradise, and looking back on it Colress had a sinking feeling that it was for a good reason. He was speculating, but deep down Colress could tell that something like today's incident had occurred before.

Something in Colress' mind snapped at that idea. The sight of someone else placing their hands over Faba made his hackles stiffen on end - a sensation that riddled him with anger and confusion. He had only polite intentions when suggesting to escort Faba; a show of good will to the Aether Foundation for allowing him to continue his research at their facility. They had the resources and personnel to make his studies a little easier. With the idea of keeping up his pleasant reputation with them he had made the offer - but now he was beginning to wonder if maybe that had been a mistake.

He should've expected that a heated omega would affect him regardless of how frigid he kept the interior of his coat. He'd encountered a fair share of them in the past and had no issues keeping himself composed around them. What he hadn't been ready for were the looks of fright and distress riddling Faba throughout their entire trip. Each one had been like a bullet to his instincts, driving him to want to protect and support the troubled man. Colress dropped the tablet on the bed beside him and rubbed his face in his hands. It was just hormones. Only hormones. He didn't actually _care_ for the Branch Chief. Not in that way! He had only wanted to ensure that he was maintaining a good relationship with the Aether Foundation. He didn't care for the frightened look in the man's eyes or the way his scent wrapped him in a hot blanket of heated fantasies. He especially didn't care for the way those tired, icy eyes glared at him every time he got too close or the way Faba sauntered when he walked. He hated how the man strode with confidence and pride but when out and alone with him he appeared to close in on himself and appear so utterly, desperately vulnerable -

"Nngh," Colress grit his teeth. Everything was hot again, but this time he didn't have his coat to subdue the heat. Even though he was wearing a thin black shirt everything was far too warm. His fingers tugged at the material over his chest. He could feel it come away from his body but there wasn't any mistaking the feeling of perspiration beneath. Colress hissed and sat up, yanking the piece of clothing up over his head and tossing it aside. It brought on some relief from the suffocating warmth. Content with that, he dropped back onto the bed.

A curious thought manifested in the forefront of his mind. In the short while that he had known the man, Faba always had been so uptight and cagey. It was difficult to imagine him as anything less than the alpha persona he put on regularly. He didn't seem the type to be caught disheveled or be reduced to a trembling pile of hormones. A crooked chuckle escaped the man's throat. How would Faba look in the throes of heat? Would he be needy? Would he want to be rough? Would he want to be treated delicately? Colress could imagine his flushed face. The bright red dusting those high cheeks and ears. Those big blue eyes looking up at him shyly as that beautiful white coat finally came away from his body.

His breath hitched.

Fingers fumbled for the belt of his slacks, quickly undoing the buckle and yanking down his zipper. Colress paused. Was he really about to do this? Indulge in some frivolous fantasy? It had been so long - and he hadn't really ever cared for such indulgences anyway. There were better things to do than mingle in romance. But oh, that look that Faba would give him as Colress' hands ran down his sides and along his thighs... 

His fingers were slipping under the material of his clothing, pulling free his aroused length. Colress let out a shaky breath as hot skin met cool air. How could a few fleeting images get him so worked up so easily? It didn't make sense. Colress groaned to himself. Maybe just this once he could merely let himself go. One time. His palm wrapping around the stiffening shaft, Colress began to nudge his thumb up against the tip in slow teasing circles. His other hand shot up to his mouth to capture a soft gasp that tried to get away.

Would Faba be desperate? Would he try and take control of the situation? Colress let out a snort. In the midst of heat he doubted Faba would be anything but begging for him. A bolt of heat struck through his core at that thought, making his length twitch in anticipation. The great Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation, _begging_ for him to mount him... Yes that was a very titillating image. Would Faba present to him eagerly? Flank raised in the air towards the alpha as he uttered out pathetic, desperate requests to fuck him senseless? Colress groaned huskily. He started stroking himself in agonizingly languid movements. _No need to rush._

What if Faba resisted him? How well would he take to being ordered around? A naughty grin graced the alpha's face as he picked up the pace in his strokes. He could vividly picture Faba being a little bratty, hiding himself away from Colress with a sassy pout on his face. In his mind's eye he imagined himself demanding with that authoritative tone only alphas could have, ' _Present, omega!_ ' Under the haze of his pheromones Faba wouldn't be able to resist. He'd get on his hands and knees, shaking as Colress ran a finger over the opening slickened by the omega's natural unguent. Perhaps he could tease him a little, rubbing his thumb over the hole until Faba was practically screaming into the sheets - begging the alpha to mount him.

And maybe he would. He'd slip into that succulent, tight heat. Relish in the whiny yowls piping up from Faba's lips. Maybe he'd start slow at first, before thrusting faster and faster into the omega. He'd place one hand in the middle of Faba's back. ' _Don't you move, don't push me out. You are mine, omega_ '. A broken groan seeped out from between Colress' lips before it was quickly swallowed down again. His hand was working himself quickly now and he could feel the presence of his knot starting to swell at the base of his flushed shaft. Oh and how he'd shove himself into Faba so roughly. The air would be thick with mewls and hoarse pleas from his omega.

Yes.... _His_ omega.

Colress stroked himself faster, his back arching off the bed. He'd push into Faba relentlessly, drinking up the weak pleasured noises of Faba pushing back onto his knot. Faba would desperately cry out, whimpering until finally Colress shoved in a final time. The knot would slowly sink into the omega, stretching him painfully as it locked the pair of them together. He could imagine Faba crying out in a dazed mix of pain and pleasure. 

Colress buried his face in a pillow to muffle his noises, still rapidly stroking. He could feel himself approaching the edge. Just a little more now, _just a little more -_

Would Faba want to be his? Colress' length twitched again. Would he insist he mark him for his own? ' _alpha please, let me be yours! Mark me! Mark me!_ '. Colress would bend over his beautiful omega, teeth sinking into the back of his neck as Faba let out a piercing scream. His bite would tear into the skin and scar, forming the permanent brand of someone who was mated to an alpha.

Colress bit into the pillow, glasses askew and saliva clinging to the fabric as his knot swelled to its full size.

"Aa-a _AH!_ "

A thick rope of white shot over his stomach and chest as Colress let out a pleasured cry. Beads of white dribbled out of his tip as he stroked out the last remaining droplets. Colress was panting. He was sweaty and his hair looked frazzled and messy. Even the usually perfect curl of blue had rogue strands sticking out of its shape. Colress wet his lips, looking down at himself. He was an utter mess, and that simply wouldn't do. All at once he could sense just how unpleasantly sticky he felt, meriting the desperate need for a long shower. With some stiffness he sat up, shimmying out of his remaining clothes before standing. His knot, still fully erect, bobbed in the air as he made his way into the bathroom. It would be some time before it deflated again, but a shower would make that process a lot faster.

When he entered the adjacent room he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He was incredibly sweaty and his chest and face were still flushed. Colress swallowed, looking at the splatters of stains decorating his stomach. _Gross._ With a sigh he took off his glasses and set them on the counter.

He had intended to be polite when he had offered to help the omega. Make a good impression, that sort of thing. He looked up at himself, meeting his own eyes. Was it possible, that somehow through that encounter, he had developed deeper feelings for the Branch Chief? Colress swallowed nervously. 

He was going to need an _extra_ cold shower.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **= WARNING =**
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> **this chapter contains a non-con scene.** No major plot points occur during this chapter, so it can be voluntarily skipped if you so prefer.

There was always a particular stuffiness lingering in the halls around the laboratories. The rooms themselves were often perfectly ventilated but the corridors were full of nothing but stale air. 

Faba clutched a file folder in one hand tightly. It was nearing the late hours and most of the scientists that would be milling about had already packed up their work. Most of the labs he walked past had their lights turned out. He too would be winding down his shift for the evening, gratefully retiring to his small onsite apartment to rest up for the next day.

_Ah, here we go._

The nameplate beside the door was old though the facilities of the Aether Foundation all seemed new. The slim man let himself in and immediately headed for the single lit area: a small operating table. Pieces of what appeared to be a unique-looking blue Pokeball were strewn across the surface accompanied by minuscule tools. A particularly large magnifying glass sat close along with countless trays of assorted parts.

"Pardon me? Branch Chief?" he called out, looking around. Usually the Branch Chief was at his table working on the new Pokeballs. How odd. Faba stood there silently, glancing around. There wasn't any response from the seemingly empty office. Had the Branch Chief already gone home for the evening? But he had been asked to bring down the UB files...

"Ahh, Assistant Branch Chief Faba."

The greeting emerged from the shadows like bleeding ink. The figure of the Branch Chief accompanied it, taking shape in what little light the solitary lamp over the table offered.

"I have the files you requested," Faba nodded, holding out the folder. 

"Thank you, you can set them there." A hand gestured to the table. At the sight of it Faba felt the fine hairs on the nape of his neck rise. Something was off. He set the papers down anyway, sliding them across the shiny surface. It wasn't uncommon for the admin be isolated away from the rest of the staff tending to the countless projects the Aether had, but something about the Branch Chief's behavior felt more unusual than the norm.

"Will you be needing anything else today?" The green-spectacled man kept a level tone despite the bubbling sensation of dread rising up in his stomach.

"Just one thing."

Faba inclined his head to listen to what that one thing could be, yet no words followed. Something seized his wrist and yanked him forward, earning a stiff noise from the omega. His shoulders tensed, his eyes blew wide. He could feel something hot and heavy against him. Faba blinked frantically, trying to see in the obscured lighting but could hardly make out the face of the Branch Chief.

"What are you doing?" the omega hissed. "Let go!"

"Not yet," answered the Branch Chief with a deep snarl.

Faba's heart plummeted through his chest and stomach straight down into his gut. Something was moving against his back. There was some comfort to be had in knowing there were a few thin layers of fabric between his shoulder. One hand of the Branch Chief's had wandered over to his spine, the other pulling at the fingertips of Faba's gloves to ease them off his hands.

"Get off of me!" Faba snapped as he made to wrench away.

No response. A hand firmly locked around one exposed palm, drawing it up towards the Branch Chief's lips.

"Don't-"

"Shhh." The other's mouth was pressing to Faba's wrist now. The omega could hear the sound of air being inhaled in deep, exaggerated breaths. "I've always known you were one of them," the Branch Chief purred.

The blood in Faba's veins turned to ice. Sweat was starting to collect at the corners of his forehead. In his chest his heart was racing frantically, urging him to get away, run off and find someplace safe to hide himself - but there wasn't anywhere to run. The Branch Chief's hands moved to the single button on Faba's coat.

"Stop!"

"What a disobedient omega...." came the condescending reply. "You should learn to respect your alphas like the complacent little _breeder_ you are."

A jolt of panic flashed through Faba's mind. "Get off of me!" Faba protested, forcefully trying to shove his aggressor off. He tried, and tried again, but his frail arms weren't any match against the alpha now pushing up against him.

"Relax." The Branch Chief was yanking open Faba's coat despite the man's best efforts to keep the article of clothing on him. The material collapsed to the floor around their ankles, revealing the thin emerald sweater underneath. "Hm, now isn't this annoying. Oh well." Fingers skipped over the sweater, going straight for the belt buckle on the front of Faba's pants. The omega's hands were on them, holding them lethally still.

"Stop this," Faba panted out. The combination of his pounding heartbeat and the adrenaline coursing through him had him trembling uncontrollably. Why was the Branch Chief acting this way? Did this alpha not have any self control?!

"Stop resisting," snarled his aggressor. 

Faba immediately turned on his heel to flee but found the alpha's claws sinking into his hips. 

" _Just stay still_." 

\-- X --

_Knock, knock, knock._

" _Branch Chief?_ "

A sharp, clear voice rang through the air. The door opened to reveal the President of the Aether Foundation, closely followed by a worry-eyed Wicke.

Lusamine stepped into the laboratory to get the lights.

The sound of fabric rustling immediately drew Wicke and Lusamine's attention to the operating table. Huddled on the floor pulling up the corner of his coat over his shoulder was a trembling, shaking omega attempting to make himself as small as feasibly possible with a messy puddle of slick pooling underneath him.

"Faba!" Wicke exclaimed in horror.

The omega visibly flinched and drew his coat tighter around himself. His pants hung loosely around his thighs, belt discarded a little ways away beside him. Faba's reddened face was completely streaked with tears and his eyes, usually sparkling and blue, were forlorn and vacant with shock.

"Miss Wicke," Lusamine said tightly. "Please assist Assistant Branch Chief Faba to back to his personal quarters." Her voice was direct but her emerald eyes were wavering with unease.

" _Yes, Madam President._ "

\-- X --

A horrified scream ripped through Faba's throat as he shot up out of his bed. Sweat flew from his brow as he sat up. His hands were immediately around his core to soothe the violent shaking of his body. A thin sheen coated him head to toe and his bed sheets were tangled around his body in awkward angles and places. Eyes darted around his dark room. It was still the same with the same pristine plain furniture and same eggshell white walls. He could make out the nest he had assembled around himself on his bed. Nests served to make omegas more comfortable while they remained in bed for prolonged periods of time. Faba's nest was arguably very bare with only a single comforter, a couple flimsy sheets and a few small pillows. One could hardly call it a true nest at all, but it was all he had.

Faba swallowed, wincing at the dry scratching sensation it created in his throat. He was absolutely parched. Fingers drew up to his head. It had been so long since he had had that nightmare. For a while he thought he had been able to repress the memory entirely, yet here it was; haunting him in the early hours of the night. The omega groaned as his length twitched. There was a copious amount of slick staining the sheets around his hips making Faba cringe. He'd have to launder them again later but that could wait. For now, water.

With some wobbliness Faba pried his nude form up off of his bed and made his way to the kitchen. The pitcher of water was a welcome sight bathed in the soft light of the fridge. Faba poured out the shimmering liquid into a cup, greedily chugging down a couple glassfuls before setting the pitcher back onto the shelf again. He sighed, lingering there with the remainder of his second glass and looking through the refrigerator contents. A fair few fruits and vegetables still lined the shelves from his trip just a couple days ago. He numbly entertained having a nibble of banana but his nightmare left him feeling rather queasy. _Better wait_ , he thought miserably. Faba frowned. He felt sick to his very bones. His gaze drifted over towards the door where some cheese and condiments were kept. This was all the usual until his eyes fell on the chocolate bar he had attempted to purchase but had been ever so rudely denied. Faba's nose wrinkled. Somehow it had evaded his sight, but that wasn't what irked him. That _putrid alpha_. Colress. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Colress was making advances on him, feigning innocence as if Faba wasn't hyperaware of the situation as it was. He slammed the door closed.

_Stupid alpha._

_He didn't need him._

The omega grit his teeth as he returned back to his room. Faba set his half empty glass on the nightstand and crawled back onto the sheets. At least he wouldn't have to worry about all this after his heat passed. Then it'd be three months of heatless bliss and by then Colress would have likely moved on in his studies.

Stupid, _stupid_ alpha.

_All of them were the same._

Faba curled up into a small ball and buried his face in a pillow. His fingers brushed over the mangled scars speckling the back of his neck, body twitching as he quietly began to sob.


	9. Chapter 9

The conservatory was oddly quiet today.

Fingers tapped against the panel on the man's arm as they usually did while the tall man took down notes. His eyes were on a small crowd of Exeggutor that were gathered together in a far off corner. Their stalks reached up high towards the ceiling where a few heating panels had been installed. It was clear to say they were all enjoying the warmth as the group stood together directly underneath. He'd never seen these Pokemon so tall before, but all wonder and curiosity about them was astonishingly lacking. While he would normally be trying to get a closer look at the Pokemon he instead lingered on the pathways above the habitats watching with almost a bored expression. The urge to discover more, get to know the unique traits of these wondrous creatures, was absent. Something was off.

The alpha let a soft sigh get away from him through his nose.

It had been roughly a week since he had last seen the fussy omega Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation. A week since he had taken the man ashore. Colress' golden honey eyes swam with uncertainty. He should've seen Faba lurking around the floor again by now. Faba should be heard spouting very loud, very colourful words about an employee's work ethic or seen being chased down by a rambunctious Stufful - but he was nowhere to be found. As of late only Wicke had been greeting him at the docks and today hadn't differed from that. Just how long would it be until the omega showed himself again?

His thin brows wrinkled his forehead in concern.

Colress looked back down towards the panel on his arm. The small digits reading the time in the corner told him that it was getting to be late in the afternoon and he would have to depart soon if he wanted to catch the last ferry out. He glanced up at the Exeggutor again. Maybe he was done taking notes for today.

The pale-haired man made his way to the lift, pulling out the keycard and holding it over the sensor. It let out a soft beep and Colress pushed on an upper level's button. The guard rails lifted and he ascended.

\-- X --

"Greetings, Miss Wicke," Colress hummed as he stepped into her office.

"Ah, Mister Colress," came her reply from her desk. Emerald eyes were bright and sparkling, nothing like the hint of aggravation that had been churning behind them from being overworked to compensate Faba's absence recently. "Finished for the day?"

"Yes," The researcher held out the card and Wicke took it from his hand. Normally Colress would have exchanged a final pleasantry and left but he felt oddly rooted to that very spot. He looked at Wicke's desk. Over the past few days he had seen papers and binders stacked miles high on its surface. Today it appeared it was back to its regular load again with the odd one of two binders and folders. 

_Had Faba returned and he just didn't see him?_

Some inkling of hope sparked up in Colress' chest.

"I see your work has eased up on you a bit," he gestured to her desk with a small smile.

Wicke glanced down to the workpile, nodding. "It's been a strain but at least it's back to usual business again."

Back to usual business?

Colress felt himself nearly vibrating at that. Faba _had_ to be back then. He just had to! So where was he?!

"Ah, so Mister Faba is finally taking responsibility of his work again," he chuckled, desperately holding back his eagerness.

"You could say that," came her reply. "As much responsibility as one can take while working mostly at home."

Colress' pleasant expression changed marginally as disappointment rapidly set in, followed closely by a sinister bubbling of shame. He hadn't any reason to want to see the omega, let alone be excited to hear of his return - but the fact that Faba was still away had sadness churning in his gut. After all, the omega had made it painfully clear just how much he liked his company. So why get his hopes up? Colress sighed softly through his nose.

"Mister Colress?"

His golden eyes snapped up to meet Wicke's curious look. The researcher flinched back a little, noticing that his usual calm face had succumbed to giving his feelings away. The Assistant Branch Chief folded her hands and drew them up under her chin with a knowing glint in her eye.

"My apologies," Colress replied, clearing his throat. "I'm afraid I'm a bit tired today is all."

"I see," Wicke hummed. Though she didn't say anything more about it there was a distinct tone in her voice that clearly stated that she didn't believe the man for a second.

"Ten am again tomorrow, I'll look forward to seeing you then." The male alpha nodded with a polite smile, turning sharply on his heel and stepping out the door before she could say more.

Colress released a breath of relief once he was well out of earshot from Wicke's office. Thank goodness Wicke didn't question him. The alpha adjusted the temperature of his coat to a chillier level. The brief moment had spurred a tint of embarrassed pink on the man's cheeks that Colress was desperate to subdue. He quickly made his way down the hall towards a corner when he abruptly collided into someone coming around it. The person let out an arrogant huff as the sound of paper flapping met Colress' ears.

The Pokemon researcher looked down, blinking in surprise as who other than Branch Chief Faba himself stood before him. Faba gave his head a small shake, blue eyes glowering up at the alpha. At first Colress felt utterly delighted to have encountered the other man, until he met his gaze, that was.

Faba's eyes were heavily shadowed with dark circles underneath them. His hair, normally nicely pointed, was slightly tousled, and the snarl on his lip was enough to make even a Houndour cower.

Colress blinked incredulously, shocked by the Branch Chief's disheveled appearance.  
"Mister Faba-" he began, only to be sharply cut off.

"Are you going to move or are you just going to block my way and gawk at me?" snapped the omega.

The taller man fumbled on his words, glancing down to see the thick wad of papers and binders in Faba's arms. "O-oh," Colress swallowed and stepped to the side.

Faba wrinkled his nose in distaste, marching past the alpha without so much as second look.

Colress watched him head down the lengthy hall straight to the President's office, knocking once before swiftly slipping inside and closing the door curtly. The alpha's frown deepened. It seemed Faba was as hostile as ever. Possibly even more so. There wouldn't be any possibility of speaking with the omega tonight. His gaze sadly fell and Colress made to leave.

"Mister Colress."

He paused, looking over his shoulder to see Wicke poking her head out from her office.

"A word, please."

Colress gulped, nodding and approaching.

"Mister Colress, what are your thoughts on Faba?"

The alpha faltered but applied his best neutral face.

"He is, a little unfriendly."

Wicke chuckled at that, nodding. "He can be a little tough to get along with, yes. Does that deter you?"

Colress' brows furrowed. "Deter me?"

"I saw that face you made when I told you Faba was still working at home."

"Oh," he fixed his eyes to the floor. _Damn, he usually had no issues concealing his thoughts. How could he have been so obvious?!_

 

"Do you, care about him?" Wicke hummed, leaning in slightly.

The researcher's breath hitched in his throat at that, blush threatening to reappear on his face. No, he didn't care for him! It was merely, a companionship. A workplace companionship. They were just two people working in the same general space as one another. Nothing more. "No," he replied curtly.

"You know, Faba is always cranky when he doesn't get enough rest," The Assistant Branch Chief mused. "There's only so much I can do to ease the workload, with the paperwork and all. Perhaps he needs a little extra assistance. Someone to help remind him to take care of himself. Possibly then he'd be less irritable to everyone." She offered Colress a polite, pleasant smile. "Good night, Mister Colress," she said as she stepped back into her office.

Colress stood there in the hallway, riddled with confusion for a prolonged silent moment. He blinked in the direction of Wicke's office. She had closed the door behind her when she left, leaving him to stare vacantly at the nameplate to the side of it.

_Extra assistance?_

He blinked once more.

_Was Wicke... Implying...?_

Colress' gaze slid over to the President's door at the end of the hall where Faba had disappeared. He couldn't possibly want his help. After all, the alpha hadn't exactly won over his favor. Not even in the store while he was trying to help him. But, Faba had seemed somewhat grateful for the company... 

The researcher's eyes glinted. Perhaps he _could_ win his favor.

_Did he want to?_

He paused.

Somewhere, deep down Colress knew that he felt some yearning pang of affection for this omega. He knew. The way the omega snapped and bit at everyone around him only made Colress wonder what had happened to misplace Faba's trust so. A sensation of pity seized his chest. He wanted to know. He wanted to comfort the omega. _Calm him._ Promise him that he was safe and he didn't have to fight anymore.

The man's heart vibrated. This definitely wasn't because of Faba's heat. _He felt something for this man._ Colress lifted his head with a newfound hopeful confidence.

_Maybe, with a little persuasion and a little patience, he could melt through that icy barricade around the omega's heart yet._


	10. Chapter 10

Trying to woo the Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation was a bit like trying to tame a wild Rapidash. Getting close was a near impossibility. Touching was utterly out of the question - not without getting violently burned - and catching him was an even more tedious feat. No matter how many times Colress came close to nabbing the man at a good time, the shorter gentleman was always hastily running off before the researcher could get in a decent word.

At times the Rapidash in question would kick out its hooves and bleat like it was being mangled to death, all the while shooting out a series of Fire Spins and Embers at the closest targets within range - of course this was merely just the Branch Chief stomping his foot and tearing down an employee that neglected to deliver him the correct file folder, but the resemblance was rather uncanny in Colress' opinion.

It was strikingly obvious to him that if he wanted any chance at winning the heart of the Branch Chief he was going to have to go in with a delicate, well-calculated plan. At first Colress thought nothing of this. Why, he was a scientific _genius!_ Surely he wouldn't have any problem!

Only, this wasn't science.

This was _romance._

A field in which Colress had regrettably flunked in tremendously.

Colress swallowed as he scoured the small wall of text scrolling on one his arm panels. He knew it was stupid to rely on researching the topic in order to get a feel for how he should approach this, but what else was there? The man looked up from his spot leaning against a railing over the conservatory. Faba was not too far off discussing something in great detail with Wicke. Judging by the amount of arm movements and unpleasant nose-wrinkles, it was a mere minor inconvenience. Colress smirked. An employee probably skimped on the foam in his ordered drink or something like that.

The Pokemon researcher halted.

_Now that was something._

He looked over to Faba again. Did the man have food brought to his office? Would he accept such things? Oh, but then again... Where _was_ the Branch Chief's office? Colress pursed his lips. Never once had he caught the man wandering in and out of any specific rooms. Where Faba spent most of his time was quite the mystery. Colress had only ever caught him in the conservation area and the upper offices on business with Wicke or the President. 

The pair began heading off towards the lift. The Pokemon researcher's gaze followed them, watching as they ascended to another floor. He hummed lightly in the back of his throat. Surely someone knew where his office was. Someone that wasn't Wicke or the President.

As his eyes dropped back down to the main floor he caught sight of the employee that had been recently subjected to one of Faba's rather _thorough_ correctional talks. Instantaneously a sly smirk tugged up the corner of his lips.

_Someone indeed._

\-- X --

What a hectic day.

Faba snorted as he dropped into his chair and pulled himself up to the computer. The laboratory around him hummed and whirred in a soft tone around him, nothing but mere background static compared to the loud clicking of his keyboard and mouse as he pulled up some of today's work.

He let out a sigh of irritation at the presence of three new emails marked urgent in his inbox. _How could this be? Not but an hour ago his inbox was clean._ Faba let out a bedraggled groan. How annoying.

His chin found the palm of his hand to rest on, leaning on his desk with an elbow when he heard a knock at the door.

_Damn, who was bothering him now?!_

Faba nearly snarled as he spat out the words, "the door is unlocked."

The door opened but not to the familiar face of the employee he was so accustomed to seeing by now. Instead a tall man carrying a single beverage cup entered into the lab.

"Evening," Colress hummed pleasantly.

Faba grit his teeth, pointedly turning to his computer again. "What is it that you need, I'm afraid I'm rather busy at the moment."

"Need? Oh, nothing at all," hummed the researcher.

Faba took a pause, eyeing the other man with heavy skepticism.

" _Nothing._ Then why are you here?"

"Just to give you this." The taller man stepped over to Faba's desk, carefully placing the cup on the crisp white surface all the while retaining a generous amount of space between the two of them. "It's Komala Coffee. You might need it if you're going to be busy."

For a prolonged moment Faba just glared up at Colress. His pale blue eyes pierced through the green lenses of his glasses and straight to Colress' honey-coloured irises. Surely there was _some_ ulterior motive. He couldn't have just come by to give him coffee. He wanted _something._ But, the longer Faba looked the less and less malice he thought he saw. There was no flickering mischief in those discs of sunlight. Only calm, genuine emotion.

Faba's own gaze softened ever so marginally. He reached over slowly to grab the cup, carefully drawing it closer to him. Colress forced himself to hold back a smile at that.

"I don't usually take my coffee black," he said, less bite in his tone this time.

"I've made sure to add some sugar and cream for you. If I remember right, you do like sweet things." _Like chocolate,_ he added in thought.

Faba didn't say much more, merely eyeing Colress one final time before making a dismissive motion with his hand.

"If there's nothing else you need, that'll be all."

The Pokemon researcher nodded. "Enjoy your evening, _Branch Chief_ Faba." 

Colress walked back out into the vast hallways of the underground labs, closing the door softly behind him. As he walked past the window into Faba's office he could see the man take a sip of the coffee followed closely after by the slightest fleeting hint of a smile.

Colress lifted his head as he made his way to the lift with a proud, cocky smirk.

_That'll be all_ , Faba had said.

_For now_ , Colress added.


	11. Chapter 11

It seemed the coffee had worked - at least, marginally.

There was definitely a very subtle air about Faba today that differed from yesterday's irrational verbal war on the commonly misunderstood drivel of the employees. The man appeared slightly calmer. His hair marginally smoother. His overall snippy personality, eased.

... _Slightly._

Once again lingering over a small pack of Pokemon from the walkway Colress' attention had been interrupted to shamelessly eavesdrop on the omega not too far off. Today it seemed he was urgently discussing some sort of project. Colress couldn't make out much aside from that it was "ready for a field test" and that Faba was oddly favoring the word "null". Normally Colress would've been eager to delve into that conversation and pry out the juicy details on said project - especially since it seemed rather important to Faba and the unusually clad Scientist standing with him holding a clipboard; but alas, he was too preoccupied.

The blonde-haired man inwardly grumbled at his own lack of diligent behavior in the recent weeks. If he didn't find some interesting ground on his study soon he just might turn up empty handed in his research - and that simply wouldn't do.

Colress pointed his nose back to the ground. Earlier on he had been following a rather restless group of Zigzagoon. The pack had travelled throughout expansive area quite liberally over the course of the morning making Colress traverse across countless walkways just to follow them. He was certain they were aware of him observing at this point, having made him run around in a series of figure-eights across the expansive paths once or twice just to keep up. The researcher looked around. It seemed the striped Pokemon had finally scurried off somewhere without him. He let out an annoyed huff through his nose and pushed up his glasses.

Turning his head he leaned back to take another look over to Faba. The Branch Chief was still talking to that scientist. Colress leaned back a little more, a hand absent-mindedly wrapping around the railing as he did so. Somehow even Faba's clothes seemed to reflect the man's good mood today. There wasn't a wrinkle to be seen in that coat and the gold accents on his footwear gleamed in the light. A tiny smile crept across the researcher's face. It was nice to see that Faba was taking care of his appearance. He did look especially dashing this afternoon.

Something blue caught Colress' gaze and it took him an embarrassingly prolonged moment to realize that Faba's eyes had caught him gawking. Colress stiffened, sharply looking back out to the conservatory.

That wasn't very dignified of him at all, was it.

The tall man squeezed his eyes shut, grumbling out a couple profanities under his breath. 

_You aren't exactly being subtle. It's been proven in countless studies subjects don't act normally under the knowledge of being watched._

Colress cringed at his own choice of words. 

_Subjects._

Faba wasn't a damn _research project_ , he was a _human being!_ Why was he treating this like a field test? See if the man reacts to stigma, or apparently, coffee?! Colress groaned quietly, hazarding a glance back over to Faba. The Branch Chief was waving his hand at the Scientist much in the same dismissive manner he had given Colress just the evening before but with more a more pointed urgency. The Scientist scuttled away and Faba swiftly pivoted on his shining golden heel to make his way to the lift - never once bothering to look at Colress again.

Colress' heart sank.

Faba must've guessed he'd been watching for while. The Pokemon researcher brought a palm up to his forehead in humiliation. You can't win someone's heart just by buying them a coffee then staring at them. He had to do more! That atrocious stare probably unsettled the other man. Colress grit his teeth.

_Colress, you imbecile._

He needed to reassure Faba that he didn't have any malicious intent. A face-to-face confrontation seemed out of the question right at that moment - after what just happened Faba probably wouldn't want to stick around. He had to focus on making Faba comfortable first. What could possibly ease Faba's mind? What would he find relaxing?

_Ah, wait... That's it!_

Colress' eyes lit up with brilliancy.

He knew just what to do.

\-- X --

Faba slammed the door closed behind him and locked the door sharply the second he entered his personal suite.

Agonizing warmth radiated throughout his entire body. The Branch Chief nearly tore the clasp of his coat clean off as he ripped the garnet from his form and tossed it over a chair.

Those eyes. Those warm, honey-coloured eyes.

A finger tugged at the collar of his green turtleneck. How could a single man have such an effect on him? And like _this?!_ Faba took off his glasses, cleaning away a smudge on the lens with the corner of his shirt. His face felt hot. It looked hot. Tints of red could be seen manifesting on the tops of his ears and cheeks. 

_He hadn't expected Colress to actually notice..._

The man only offered him a simple cup of coffee. That was it. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a quick greeting and goodbye. But oh, that wonderful, pleasant smile last night. That shy distance Colress had kept between them. _When he had said he remembered that Faba liked sweet things --_

Faba felt something flutter in his chest at the memory and his hand subconsciously clawed into the fabric over it.

The way his voice wrapped around the title _Branch Chief Faba..._

The man softly bit down on his lip as he wandered into the common area of his small home. On the table was the small container of polish he had used to meticulously scrub at the plated gold of his shoes and coat just the night prior. Faba scowled. Colress had only offered him some pleasantries and a drink. There had been no sense in _preening_ for him. That Komala Coffee had merely put him in such a good mood he had felt like cleaning himself up a bit, that was all. There really wasn't much chance that Colress would have noticed anyway; though judging by that adoring stare he had given him earlier, the blonde man had _definitely_ noticed. 

Faba gave his head a shake. No, no. He couldn't latch onto that so readily. It couldn't be adoration. Maybe Colress was put off by the attire of the scientist, what with their gaudy helmets and all. There wasn't any chance he was looking at him - _even though deep down, Faba hoped he was_ \--

**No!**

Faba huffed quietly to himself. He wasn't making himself look good for that cretin!

Colress was nothing but a repulsive, inconsiderate, interrupting.... _Tall.. Warm.. Soft spoken alpha._ Faba groaned as he plopped down onto his sofa.

What had come over him?

It wasn't as if he had much interest in the man. Yes, Colress had assisted him when he needed the help. He had only ever touched him with the intent to comfort. Not to mention he had offered him a drink and made sure it was specifically to his liking...

Faba's gut snarled at the idea of food. The Branch Chief sighed, prying himself off the couch to go hunt for something promising in his fridge. The door swung open to reveal leftovers and disappointment. Nothing immediately stood out to him as a veritable snack. Faba's brows lowered in annoyance as his eyes scoured through the remaining contents, that was, until he reached the chocolate bar still in the door. His gaze softened as he plucked it from its spot and gave it a hard look. He had neglected to eat it out of sheer spite, but as he looked at it now there was a soft vibrating in his chest that he couldn't explain. He tore back part of the wrapper and bit off a generous corner, chewing the treat slowly as he sighed deeply through his nose.

It was rather good. A little hard to chew at first from the cold of the fridge, yet otherwise delectably scrumptious.

As much as he loathed to admit it, maybe he _had_ in fact made himself look better for the sake of catching Colress' eye. Faba's gaze dropped down to the floor. Maybe he _did_ find something about that man's presence oddly comforting.

Maybe he _did_ have some feelings for this Pokemon researcher.

The Branch Chief swallowed, biting off another piece of chocolate as he stood there silently mulling this new information around in his mind.


	12. Chapter 12

So the bribe of coffee _had_ worked.

Or at least, that's what Colress wanted to think, anyway. He couldn't be completely certain.

Regardless of the inconclusive evidence, he pressed on as if it had.

Weeks passed and Colress kept close to the weary omega that slipped through the hallways like a shadow. With each passing day Colress grew bolder; braver. He began speaking to Faba more, and it seemed the Branch Chief was starting to reciprocate the same. It was never anything beyond polite banter and common interests in science, but at least for once it seemed that Faba was actually warming up to him.

_Colress was delighted._

He began to walk straighter. Hold his head high. His lips always drawn into a polite, pleasant smile. The thought of finally befriending the Branch Chief left Colress elated.

Faba would return Colress' smile, lift his own tired eyes and meet the Researcher's as he uttered out a soft greeting. Colress had to do all he could to refrain from showing so much enthusiasm to have an audience with the omega at all.

"Good morning, Colress." Faba's voice was like silk to Colress' ears.

"Morning," replied the taller man.

"I trust you're on your way to the observation deck as usual?"

"Of course."

"Would you care to join me?"

Colress felt his heart leap into his throat. _Would I ever_ , he thought before managing out a more appropriate "I would enjoy that, yes."

"Wonderful," Faba smiled as he headed for the lift.

Colress strode beside him and fidgeted with the panel on his coat in a faux display of being preoccupied. It was better than rudely staring at Faba and letting his mind wander.

_"There goes Faba,"_ a hushed murmur piped up some distance away.

Colress' ears pricked. He was certain Faba had heard it too as his own eyes had widened slightly.

_"I heard he was going to get fired since his research wasn't going anywhere."_

_"Really?"_ A second voice whispered back.

Colress turned his head. Two Aether Employees stood off to the side next to a shipping crate, chatting over it as they loitered.

_"Yeah, I don't think he's gonna last long. Too bad Aether can't seem to find a good Branch Chief. Wonder if Wicke will-"_

"Excuse me a moment, please." Colress politely excused himself from Faba. The Branch Chief faltered in slight confusion, turning his head and pausing as Colress headed directly to the gossiping pair.

"Pardon me," the Researcher cleared his throat, stopping dead in front of the two.

Both of them froze, looking up at him with confused eyes.

"I could not help but overhear your uncouth conversation. I am unsurprised that you think so little of scientific research. I presume it is quite a ways above your level of expertise." Colress quipped, smile never once leaving his face. "Seems you are even incapable of carrying out your duties," he added, gesturing to the abandoned crates that still needed to be relocated. "I am just on my way to see Miss Lusamine myself, perhaps she would be most kind as to locate a task that is more your grade." 

It was a partial bluff but the employees paled in unease regardless.

Colress turned away slightly. "I'm sure my perception of your cognitive abilities could be swayed by at least remembering how to properly address your Branch Chief. You'll do your best to remember, won't you?"

The duo nodded, one swallowing nervously.

"Glad we could reach an understanding." Colress inclined his head and with that unnerving smile, turned on his heel and left the pair to stew in their thoughts.

"Shall we, Branch Chief Faba?" he hummed to the omega.

Faba blankly looked up at him, blue eyes staring into Colress' own for a few agonizing moments.  
.  
"O-oh, yes. Let's," Faba fumbled as he cleared his throat and righted his posture.

 

The pair arrived on the observation deck and Faba was unusually quiet. Normally he would be gritting his teeth over an employee's mistake or a mishap in his work, but no words left his lips.

Colress looked out of the corner of his worried eye down to Faba. Had he done something wrong? Had he gone too far?

"Are you all right?" Colress eventually murmured to him.

"Yes, fine," Faba waved his hand.

Colress inclined his head. He swore he could see red rising up in Faba's face but he wasn't certain.

"I have never had someone defend me so... Forwardly," came the soft-spoken follow up from the omega.

The taller of the pair blinked. Well, he arguably had no authority over the Aether Employees. _Perhaps he had been a little bold..._

"I apologize," Colress began but Faba cut him off.

"No, no - No need for that, just -" The omega glanced up but didn't hold his gaze. He took a slight step closer to the alpha, lips drawn into an uncertain line. Just what was the Branch Chief doing? Well whatever it was, it didn't follow through. He stepped back just as fast and swallowed. "Thank you, Mister Colress. Excuse me." With that, Faba spun around and hastily left the man's company.

Colress' brows furrowed. _What had that been about?_


	13. Chapter 13

Oh dear... Oh dear... _**Oh, dear.**_

Faba softly closed his door behind him and leaned against it. The stillness of his home was a welcoming silence compared to the restless buzzing of his mind that had been active since earlier that day.

What had happened?

Not but weeks ago he had been loathing the Pokemon Researcher with all his entirety, dreading the idea of seeing his face in the hallways as he passed. Now whenever Faba tread along those bleak, pale corridors he always hoped to see those honey-gold eyes warming up the room.

Faba swallowed thickly.

His daily routine had shifted entirely in favor of the alpha. Faba was spending more time outside of his laboratory. He was active around the main building and upper floors. But worst off, he found himself migrating to the conservatory every so often just to catch a glimpse of that man. The Branch Chief hung his head in shame. 

He lamented the way that Colress' actions towards the grunts made him feel secure. He hated that the alpha had up and defended him. _Unprompted._

The omega sighed and pulled away from the door to meander over to his sofa.

 

_Could_ he trust him?

Faba brought his fingers up to his goatee in idle thought. _It just seemed too farfetched to trust him._ He was an _alpha_. But then again, so were Miss Wicke and the President. He dropped his forehead into his hand in disdain.

_Knock knock._

Faba nearly jolted. With some unease he stood to open the door. His fingers refused to stay still when he turned the knob.

"Ah, forgive my intrusion."

Of course. _Who else but the one alpha that plagued Faba's mind._

"Mister Colress."

"Miss Wicke requested I bring you these," Colress said, his smile still present as ever on his face.

"Miss Wicke-?" Thick blonde brows knit in puzzlement as Faba looked down to the large bag Colress held. He couldn't quite make out what the entire contents were, through from where he stood it appeared to be... Blankets? How peculiar. Apprehensively Faba reached out and took the offering.

"Ah, thank you," Faba mustered, unsure of what to say. Thankfully Colress was quick to excuse himself and save him from the conversation.

"Hardly a problem," the alpha said cheerfully. "I look forward to seeing you again soon."

Faba felt heat rise in his face. Again? Soon? That statement alone should not have made Faba's stomach flip in excitement as it did.

Colress had departed down the hallway before Faba could respond. The Branch Chief lingered there in the doorway, watching the alpha disappear around the corner of the hall. His eyes drifted down to the delivery. How odd indeed. Miss Wicke had sent this...? That seemed rather unlike her.

Faba slipped back inside and plopped the bag onto his table. Fingers grasped at the fabric neatly rolled into a thick bundle and pulled. Whatever it was Faba could practically feel the soft texture from under his gloves. Eyes fixed into perplexed confusion as it revealed that in fact, this _was_ a blanket. If anything Faba was only more befuddled from how the blanket fit into the tote it came in at all. It was huge!

Something at the bottom of the bag caught Faba's eye. He glanced over, plucking up the flat item at the bottom.

_Another chocolate bar._

The colour left his face and he dropped the bar as if it had burnt him. This most definitely and without a doubt was not from Wicke at all. _This was completely from Colress._ Faba looked at the blanket again. He knew what this was; what the alpha was trying to do. The Branch Chief bit his lip. His heart was racing now.

Of all the ridiculous and absurd courting attempts an alpha could muster up, this one was by far the oldest trick in the book. With the omega's heightened sense of smell towards their alpha counterparts, it would be easy for one to pick up the scent of the alpha on an item like a shirt or a blanket. Faba wrinkled his nose. It was an attempt at getting an omega hooked on their scent and by proxy, their presence. By textbook it was supposed to make omegas _receptive_ ; a term that made Faba gag for days. Alphas were cretins. Anything they did was solely for the intent on --

Faba shuddered.

Disgusting.

But... Colress hadn't once acted like a brute. As Faba's mind kept on mulling over and over, not once had Colress made outright advances on him. Either the man was incredibly patient... Or he was acting genuinely.

The idea of Colress acting out of the kindness of his own heart frightened him.

The Branch Chief gave his head a shake. He wasn't about to fall for it.

The omega balled up the blanket and marched down a hall to the laundry machine before dumping it in with a copious amount of soap. He would keep it, but by damned he wasn't about to let Colress get the best of him like that.

Content with pouring in enough detergent to potentially make the washer explode he slammed the lid down and forced his thumb into the wash button.

_Nice try._


	14. Chapter 14

Perhaps he was pushing his luck a little now. Perhaps, a _lot_. 

But how could he have resisted? It seemed like such the perfect moment - the perfect token - _and yet..._

 

It almost felt as if he were back to square one.

 

Maybe this time he had gotten just a little too cocky with his advances. When he had been interpreting Faba's apprehension as a stubborn Tauros wanting nothing to do with him, he should have been aware of the stark reality; that Faba's distaste was more like a timid Deerling that wasn't yet certain if it could trust feeding out of his palm just yet.

Colress heaved a soft sigh, his entire coat shifting with the weight of it.

The Branch Chief was again, avoiding him.

He could hardly blame the man. His gift had been rather unprompted. A quick internet search into omega resources and Colress had been fast to learn about the makeshift "nest" that they assembled for themselves during their heat. It was all in the name of maintaining comfortability while stuck in one place for days on end. Soft bed linens and comforters, it varied between individuals - but the intended purpose was all the same.

_So why not donate the man a ridiculously soft blanket?_

Regrettably Colress only realized afterwards that such _gifts_ were meant for more intimate partners. His usually pleasant smile had long ago squiggled into a miserable misfortuned mope over such a grandeur error.

And here he was, paying the price for such a mediocre mistake.

Faba was nowhere to be seen - and what filled Colress with dread more - the man must have been about due for another heat.

Colress had really hoped he would have progressed further with courting the omega by now. If not intimately then at least romantically. He had hardly managed to nudge his toe into Faba's circle of acquaintances. The Pokemon Researcher sighed again. He could not let such mishaps deter him. He could still make this work. After all - Faba hadn't explicitly told him he wasn't interested. That alone should mean something, shouldn't it?

The blonde-haired man hummed a low note and continued along.

 

Little did he know though, that the omega in question was actually not far off at all.

Feigning interest in a Staryu, Faba had been keeping a shy eye on the alpha between the leaves and stalks of the conservatory's vegetation surrounding the decks.

He had to admit, at first he hadn't appreciated Colress' donation in the slightest. He had detested it. There had even been a brief moment when he entertained burning the scrap of fabric altogether - but as it lay discarded on his sofa after its tumble through the dryer the Branch Chief had a change of heart.

Keeping it was only the beginning in a series of rapid downfalls that led him to spying on the man as he was now. The material was abnormally plush. Faba was familiar with his generic standard-issue bedding that had come with living on the island. This blanket though, this felt like a _cloud_. Tempting fate the disgruntled omega had flopped down onto it. He swore to himself that he would only use it as a meager couch-throw - nothing more.

Only that he was promptly lost in the comfort of it and nodded off.

Faba awoke hours later to the dark seeping into his apartment. The soft rumbling of the appliances filled the air with low white noise as his tired mind frantically tried to calculate what time it was. As he sat up his hand pushed into the blanket. The gentle squish the material offered was more than enough to still Faba's buzzing brain.

The Branch Chief grabbed the blanket, giving it an almost timid squeeze. He had to admit, it _was_ rather nice. Faba swallowed. Such offerings weren't meant for casual workplace friends, though. Granted he wouldn't have questioned it at all had it been Wicke - but this was different. This wasn't something of pity or comradery. This was a token of _affection._ Faba felt his cheeks burn a little. If he had any hazy doubts about Colress' unusual actions as of late, they were crystal clear now.

_The alpha was absolutely trying to court him._

What startled Faba more was that Colress had been nothing but _patient_ He would wait for approval or dismissal from the omega. Faba thought back to when Colress had dragged him ashore. Even then the man had been only calm and kind, even going so far as to defend him without laying some gratuitous title of ownership over him as many have.

Faba felt a tiny spark of excitement alight in his gut. It alarmed him but it also filled him with a sense of giddiness. Of anticipation. What would the alpha do next? Would he continue to be forward, or would he politely wait for Faba's approval before approaching again? Something about having Colress waiting for _his_ opinion - for _his_ feelings --- it made his heart flutter. A smile cracked across Faba's face as he ran his palm over the blanket in idle thought.

 

_Maybe this wasn't so bad._


	15. Chapter 15

This, was bad.

Faba's heels clicked harshly against the floor as he raced through the hall of the subfloor laboratories. 

Where was it?!

His glasses offered no aid to scouting in the dim lighting. He frowned as he turned in each direction, hoping, praying that he could find it.

A deep, guttural sound echoed through the corridors. Faba's teeth clenched. He needed to track that beast down immediately before it became a threat.

He hurried off down another hall, hoping he was heading in the right direction.

"Hypno," Faba called out, releasing his trusted golden-haired Pokemon. Its ears perked as it formed from the light of its Pokeball, delighted to be out.

"Help me track it down. We cannot let it escape the underground," Faba commanded, gesturing off down an adjacent hall. Hypno nodded with an affirmative noise before trotting off. The Branch Chief pivoted around, sighing in frustration.

Normally he wouldn't have had much of an issue with the President paying a visit. In fact, he adored when she honored him with her presence. It was a chance to show off exactly what his clever mind had been up to. A chance to prove his skill.

She was always so pleased with his efforts, and the praise was a nice refreshing reward for his hard work.

Only it had all been undone by the putrid little animals she called children.

Well, rather one in particular. 

The young boy had grabbed one of Faba's experiments and sprung it loose. Rumor had it a second had been released as well from its containment and was now running loose within the confines of the Aether Foundation's basement.

Faba snorted as he rounded a corner. Damn, why did he engineer these creatures to be so adept?!

The Branch Chief let out a low grumble that evolved into a scream as the creature in question landed square in front of him.

Towering at an immense height and fully capable of supernaturally fast attacks, the Type: Null was snarling beneath its mask at Faba.

Faba called out his Alakazam.

"Restrain that beast!" Faba barked.

The Psi Pokemon immediately launched a psychic attack - one that was swiftly evaded by the Type: Null. Faba clenched his fists.

"Again!"

Type: Null let out a screech, returning with a Metal Sound attack. The piercing noise made Faba's ears ring, and it seemed to have a harsh effect on Alakazam as well as the Pokemon was cowering with its ears folded back hard.

"Alakazam, try disabling it!"

"Kazam!" His Pokemon shook off the effects of the noise, snapping its fingers.

Type: Null stalled to a halt, unable to utilize its attack.

"Psychic, now!"

The Type: Null levitated into the air, legs flailing as Alakazam attacked. Hypno appeared and joined in the efforts to keep the Type: Null secure. Faba lifted a Pokeball towards the frozen Pokemon.

"Return!" he snarled.

The red beam shot out of the ball, capturing Type: Null's form and swiftly drawing it back into its confinement.

Faba let out a weary sigh of relief, slumping over. One down, one to go.

He pocketed the Pokemon and extended hands to his two companions. "Wonderful work," he praised, giving each one an affectionate rub behind the ears.

 

\- X -

 

The second escapee was nowhere to be found, as neither was the young son of the President.

But Faba hardly cared for the missing child. Irate that his prized experiment was now missing at the hands of Gladion, he moved on to working with his two remaining Type: Null.

The one that had escaped not but days earlier was now heavily restrained as it stood on the testing station. Its paws were each individually shackled to a post on the floor, and four chains kept the Pokemon from thrashing its head too fair to either side. The bulky helmet had been temporarily removed.

Beside Faba, two grunts exchanged unsure glances.

"First disc, please," Faba called over his shoulder.

One grunt nervously reached to the table, lifting a coloured disc up and passing it to the Branch Chief.

The Type: Null stared Faba down, mouth open as if prepared to bite.

"Now, this will only take a second-" Faba purred, stroking the dull grey plumage of the Pokemon's mane. Type: Null let out a low growl, wrinkling its nose.

Faba took hold of the gold disc and raised it to the side of the Pokemon's head, sliding it into the open slot.

There was an instantaneous reaction the second the slot locked closed. The colour of the Pokemon's eyes began to shift hue. The plumage of its crest fought to change to the same, though came through patchy and muddled. Type: Null let out a piercing shriek.

Faba and the grunts winced, covering their ears as the Pokemon thrashed and bucked, frantic to escape its holds.

There was a crackling noise as electricity sparked from the Pokemon's face. Type: Null's screams grew louder and more intense.

"That's enough! Sedate it!" Faba bellowed over the shrieks.

The second grunt nodded and took hold of a syringe off the table, inserting it square into the flank of the pained Pokemon.

Faba grit his teeth as Type: Null's noises began to cease, its legs wobbling as it sunk to the floor, head still suspended. The Branch Chief sighed as he tilted the Pokemon's head. Evidence of a melted disc could be seen coagulating around the slot it went into. He let out a frustrated shout. He didn't have time for these hinderances! He was due to be on leave again in a couple short weeks and the President was on the edge of her seat anticipating Faba's next breakthrough. He couldn't afford to waste any more time! The Branch Chief fanned himself. Not only that, he could feel the fleeting hints of his heat surging to the surface in subtle waves.

Not good.

Faba kicked the table, discs clattering on its surface as he stormed away.

"Get it cleaned up! We'll try again tomorrow."

He exited out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Oh how he wanted to retreat back to his apartment and curl up in that new blanket and forget his worries. His thoughts were cut short as he was met with the grey front of a familiar coat the second he stepped away from the lab.

Faba glanced upward to meet Colress' eyes. Naturally those eyes would be full of warm honey and charm - but today they were wide with unsettled shock.

"You're… Experimenting…" Colress mumbled under his breath, looking past Faba's head through the window to the lab of the collapsed body of Type: Null.

"What - oh, this!" Faba waved a hand. "A pet project of the president. We're making quite impressive breakthroughs in the versatility of Pokemon and their capabilities."

Colress appeared numb. He had heard Type: Null's desperate cries for help. His heart sank deep into an icy recess within his chest. He had heard similar pained sounds from Kyurem when he himself experimented with the Pokemon's power. The horrified noises it had made while onboard the _Plasma Frigate_ , his own cold ignorance as he exploited the Pokemon's power for his own selfish gain...

_The countless lives that were stolen after the city had frozen over..._

The Pokemon Researcher shook his head, stepping away.

"This is…" he couldn't finish his sentence. A hand came up to his temple as he tried to process the past events as they rapidly reappeared in his mind's eye.

"Colress - ?" Faba asked quietly, blue eyes searching for some sign of recognition in Colress' lost ones.

"I - I have to go," Colress said, turning heel and running off down the dark, vacant corridor of the underground.

"Colress!" Faba called out, hand outstretching.

But the other man was gone.


End file.
